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(No Model.) 4.Sheet,s-Sheet 1.

J. ILLINGWURTH. y APPARATUS P0P RPMOVING VPGPTABLE FIBER PROM WOOL.'

No. 321,899. Patented July 7, 188@- fyi/Maa. y

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(No Model.)

J. `ILLINGWORTH- APPARATUS FOR RBMOVINOVBGBTABLB FIBER PROM WOOL. NO. 321.899.

Patented July 7, 1885.

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-(No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet J. LLINGWORTH. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING VEGBTABLE FIBER FROM WOOL.

No. 321.899. Patented ,my 7,1885.

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(No ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4'. v

J. ILLINGWORTH. l APPARATUS POR REMOVING VEGETABLE FIBER FROM WOOL.

Patented July '7, 1885.

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Unrrnn STATESl PATENT Ottica.

JOHN ILLINGVORTH, OF BA'ILEY, COUNTY OFYORK, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING VEG ETABLE FIBER FROEVI WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,899, dated duly 7, 1885.

Application filed December 15, 1884.

(No model.) Patented in Belgium July 3l, 1884, No. 65,910; in GermanyJuly 31, 18311, and in France August 2, 1884, No. 163,611.

To all-whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, J OHN ILLINGWORTH, a subject of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and a resident of Batley,in the county of York, England, flock -1nanufacturer, have invented certain Improvements in the Apparat-us for Treating Fibers, Rags, and Woven Fabrics, of which' the following is a specification.

rIhe object of my invention is to destroy or carbonize cotton, jute, flax, or other vegetable matter when mixed with animal fibers, woolen rags, or woven piece goods, and also for the destruction of such vegetable matter when mixed with yarn, wool, and waste.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I herein give reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrative thereof, wherein--- Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of my apparatus, aportion of the upper part of the boiler, flue, and rotary. cage being in longitudinal vertical mid-section, so as to exhibit the interior construction. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in several planes, as will be hereinafter indicated, the better to illustrate the construction. Fig. 3 is a detached fragmentary plan of the drivinggear. Figs. l.Land 5 illustrate a modication, which will be hereinafter fully described.

l represents the outer shell of a boiler,preferably cylindrical in form, and 2 is a iiue fixed in said boiler so as to leave a space, 3, between them, which, as herein shown, is annular. This space is adapted to receive steam or hot water, or both, and forms a steamjacket for the flue 2.

Within the flue 2 is a perforated rotary cage, 4, which bears upon rollers 5, supported by suitable brackets, 6, Fig. 3, secured by bolts or otherwise tofthe inner side of the iiue.

The shaft 7, for driving the cage, does not pass through it,fbut is secured to `one end thereof by a flange, 8, Fig. 3, the said shaft being driven by bevel-wheels 9 and 10 from the shaft11,which receives its motion,by spurwheel 12, direct from a pinion, 12, on the rotary crank-disk 13 on shaft 13, operated by connecting-rod I4 of the steam-engine I5.

In order to make the apparatus complete I have attached thereto a small steam-engine, as will be seen in the drawings, steam being conveyed to the same by a pipe, 16, from any convenient source.v The apparatus may,how ever, be operated by abelt or wheels, and any power may be employed to drive it, according to requirement.

Within the cage are a series of spikes, prongs, grates, or serrated plates, 17, employed for the purpose of lifting or carrying the fibrous materials above the center of the cage, when they will fall back again to the bottom thereof, thereby being well agitated and thoroughly exposed to the action of the carbonizing-gases, as hereinafter explained.

Steam is admitted to the boiler by pipe 18, from whence it 'escapes at 19, and 20 is an exhaust-fan driven at a rapid rate by a belt from pulley 21, keyed on the cross-shaft 11, the said exhaust-fan being employed for causing a current of air to pass through the apparatus, thereby removing any acid and dust which may remain in the animal fiber after the vegetable fiber has been destroyed, and for clearing out the air and gases from the flue or chamber 2, so that it is more accessible for the workman to enter, (as it is necessary for him to do so from time to time in. order to remove the fiber from the cage and refill it again,) or for forming a partial vacuum therein. A more perfect vacuum,however,may be formed by the air-pump 22, operated, when required, by the piston-rod 23, which for this purpose passes entirely through the cylinder,the pumprod 24 being connected to the piston-rod by a cotter or key, 25, which, when not required, is removed and the parts disconnected. The said air-pump is connected by pipe 26 to the ue 2, the air removed therefrom being carried away by pipe 27 to any convenient place.

The carboniZing-gases, which may be various, are made in the retort 28 and conveyed therefrom to the purifier 29, which contains pumice-stone and liquid sulphuric acid, or sulphuric acid without pumice-stone, somewhatV after the manner of a Wolftsbottle,77 or calcium sulphate, through which the carbonizin g vapors pass for the purpose of refining them or extracting all the moisture therefrom, pro- IOO dncing thereby a dry gas, which I iind very suitable for the purpose. In Fig. 3 I have shown the purifier 2.() in section and the retort 2S in elevation.

rIhe apparatus is provided with asteamgage, 30, and blow-olf valve 3l, to ascertain the pressure of steam and to guard against overpressure, as will be Well understood.

The modus operandi is as follows: The space 3 or boiler proper is supplied with steam or hot Water, or both, until the temperature of the flue or chamber 2 is sulliciently hot-say 240o Ilahrenheit-When the fibrous materials to be operated upon are placed Within the rotary cage 4, after which the door 32 of the iue is closed and the cage set in motion, whereby the materials are carried around the heated chamber by the projecting prongs or serrated plates 17 in the cage, which distributes and agitates the fibers, making them more accessible to the hot air and gases. A small door, 33, in the main door 32 is now opened for the admission of air, and the eX- haust-t`an 20 set in motion, which draws air (if preferred, previously heated) through the fibers, whereby they are expeditiously and thoroughly dried. The doors and apertures of the tine are now closed, and a partial vacuum formed therein by the continued action of the exhaust-Ilan. not sufficient, the pump-rod 24 is connected t0 the piston-rod 23, and the pump set in motion, which immediately forms a vacuum in the flue, causing the temperature therein to rise, and uithdrawing the moisture from the fibers, which are 110W rendered ready to absorb any gases or vapors which may be admitted to them. After having, therefore, prepared the ibers and got them intoa proper condition for the earbonizing-gases, I now admit the latter by opening the valve 34 in the pipe 35, one end ol' said pipe being in connection with the gas-purifying chamber 29, While the other end is in connection with and open to the flue 2, whereat the gases enter the chamber, and through the pert'orations in the cage 4, which gases are readily absorbed by the tibers,\vl1ich have been previously prepared, the said gases entering and penetrating to the very core thereof, by which means the vegetable part of the fiber is absolutely and thoroughly destroyed, nothing but ne dust or ashes remaining, While the animal liber remains intact. 1When the destruction of the vegetable fiber is complete, the valve 34, for admitting the carbonizing-gas, is closed, the door 33 opened, and the exhaust-fan 20 set in motion again, drawing through the hea-ted chamber and the fiber another current of air, and the cage continues to revolve and agitate the ber the acid which may be adhering to the fnimal ber is removed, together with the tine dust, thereby leaving the said liber practically free from acid.

In eases Where the acid has not been perfectly removed from the animal liber, it is subjected to a further process or treatment for If, however, the vacuum is the more effectuallyneutralizing the said acid, and for this purpose I employ a large pipe or a cylinder, 36, which is shown in side elevation, partially broken away, in Fig. 1, and in cross-section in Fig. 3, Where it is seen directly under the valve 34. Vthin this cylinder is a similar cylinder, 37, of smaller diameter. rlhe annular space between these cylinders receives steam under high pressure, conveyed thereto by pipe 3S, whereby the smaller inner pipe, 37, becomes hot and forms a heating-chamber, in which is placedliquid ammonia or other ecmpound containing the same elements.

rIhe ammonia is fed into the cup 39, (shown in Fig. 1,) and on opening the cock 4() flows along the pipe 41 until the cylinder 37 is sui'- ciently full, when the cock 40 is closed. After the ammonia in the hot cylinder is sufficiently heated, the cock 42 is opened, admitting steam into the pipe 41 at a high pressure, which intermingles with the ammonia in the cylinder', and forces same, in combination with the steam, through the pipe 43 into the llue 2, where it is freely discharged into and among the fiber, absolutely neutralizing any ot' the acid remaining in the same.

In Figs. l and 2 I have shown the means I usually employ for regulating the exhausting action of the fan 20. slide, 52, arranged to more or less close the opening 53, which connects flue 2 with the fan. To this slide is coupled an arm, 54, on a rock-shaft, 55, the other end of which is provided With an operating-lever, 56. The operation will be readily understood.

Vhen operating upon Woven piece goods, the same gases and substantially the same form of apparatus are employed as that already dev scribed,exceptthatin addition theretoIemploy the devices shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the former of which is a transverse section and the latter an end view of the boiler and its interior parts. In these views I have omitted all the extraneous features ofthe apparatus, as these are sulliciently illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. The woven pieces pass over the rollers 44, the vegetable matter contained therein-such as burrs, seeds, and other vegetable bits 7-being destroyed by the gases as the piece travels around the rollers. Previous to the piece being placed in the apparatus it is Wound upon a beam, 46, and placed Within the cage in the flue 2 in such manner as to run loosely therein. One end of the piece is then connected to the beam 47, which is caused to rotate so as to un- Wind the piece off the beam 46 and wind it on beam 47, the said beam receiving a positive rotary motion by spur-Wheel 49 from the pinion-wheel 50, secured to the Hue-head concentric with the axis of the cage 4.

The rollers 44 and beams 46 and 47 are shown in Fig. 4 as arranged within the cage 4, and having bearings in its ends, the projections 17 being omitted from the cage.

If by once traveling through the machine the burrs and vegetable matter are not dcstroyed, the rotary motions of the Windingrlhis comprises a cut-oit IOO IIO

rollers are reversed, which is easily effected by taking the keyout of the wheel 49 and placing it into wheel 5l, which now becomes the windingon roller. These operations of making first one roller and then the other to be the winding-on roller may be adopted as often as required until the burrs are effectually destroyed.

I have stated that the rotary cage 4 is perforated, and this description I deem sufiicient, as it is not essential how it shall be constructed so long as free passage for the gases through its drum Ybe provided. It may be of stout wiregauze, or of sheet metal perfoi-ated with holes, as indicated in Fig. 3. In this figure the section of the boiler and flue at the left is taken in the plane of pipe 26, and at the right in the plane of pipe 35.

The pressure-gage 30 may be placed in any convenient position. In Fig. 2 I have shown it placed in one position7 and in Fig. 3 in another. e

rIhe end of the cage 4, which is at the left iu Fig. 1, is provided with au opening large enough to insert the material heated.

Any of the well-known acid gases may be employed to carbonize the vegetable matteras, for example, vapor of hydrochloric acid, and this may be generated in any ordinary retort, 28.

I do not claim herein the carbonization or decomposition of vegetable matter mixed with animal fiber in order to remove the former, as this is well known.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to rotate foraminous cages for the fiber within stationary heated chambers, and to treat said fiber with carbonizing-gases under such conditions. This I do not claim.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention, I claimi l. In an apparatus for treating animal ber, or materials made therefrom, for the carbonization and removal of the vegetable matter mixed therewith, the combination of the lue 2, the 45 f boiler l, constructed as shown, to surround fine 2 and form a steam-jacket, 3, around the same, the foraminous cage 4, rotatively mounted in line 2, the blower 20, connectedwth iiue 2, the mechanism, substantially as described, for 5o rotating the cage and driving the blower, the gas-generating apparatus 28, connected with flue 2 by a pipe, and theapparatus for forcing a mixture of ammonia and steam into the ue 2, comprising the j acketed ammonia-receptacle 5 5 37 ,its feed-pipe 41, provided with cock 40, its outlet-pipe 43, and the steam-pipe controlled by cock 42, said flue 2 being provided with a door, 32, and all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth. 60

2. The combination, with the jacketed flue 2, the blower 20, theforaminous cage 4,mounted rotatively in the fine, the mechanism, substantially as described, for rotating the cage and driving the blower, and the gas-generating 6 5 apparatus, of the rollers 44, mounted in the cage 4, the beams 46 and 47, mounted in the cage 4 and bearing on their projecting axles the spunwheels 49 and 5l, constructed to be readily detached therefrom, and the pinion 50, 7o mounted on and fixed to the flue concentric with the axis of the cage, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 75 witnesses.

JOHN ILLINGWORTH.

Witnesses:

C. W. WHITMAN,

U. S. Consular Agent. A. B. CRossLnY,

llIm'kct Place, Hudderseld. 

